Seeing And Believing With Wade Bearden & Kevin Mclenithan

As Election Day inches closer, Seeing & Believing devotes some time to a movie about the fallout from another chaotic election season: the riots that surrounded the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Aaron Sorkin writes and directs The Trial of the Chicago Seven with his usual verbal flair; does he find the cinematic flair to match? Wade and Kevin also look to the future of moviegoing over the next few months and do their best to identify the upcoming films that you should watch out for on streaming, on VOD, or even (if conditions are right) in theaters. Plus, Wade offers a capsule review of the latest Liam Neeson-starring action flick, Honest Thief. Music interlude by Evan Schaeffer Music Studios, "Mary Mood." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

It's documentary week here on Seeing & Believing, featuring two new films from Netflix. Wade and Kevin dig into Dick Johnson Is Dead, an intensely personal new film from Cameraperson director Kirsten Johnson. By turns irreverent, playful, and deeply emotional, Johnson's film explores the prospect of death and what it means to say goodbye. The guys also spend some time with The Social Dilemma, a sobering documentary about smartphones, social media, and the dark underbelly of the technology that powers them. Music interlude by Fuscation, "SHAI." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Detectives are the name of the game on Seeing & Believing this week. Netflix's new film starring Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown has arrived, adding to the Sherlock Holmes Cinematic Universe with Enola Holmes. Brown plays the famous Sherlock's younger sister, who embarks on her own sleuthing adventure involving the disappearance of her mother and political intrigue in late Victorian England. Corrupt detectives figure into the episode as well, as Wade and Kevin draw the curtain on their film noir review series with a look at the Orson Welles classic Touch of Evil.

With Wade on vacation, Kevin calls on Sarah Welch-Larson this week to help make sense of Charlie Kaufman's latest brain-bender. I'm Thinking of Ending Things, now streaming on Netflix, features Kaufman's trademark metafictional flourishes and thematic concerns; does it stand alongside Synecdoche, NY and Anomalisa in pulling off the balancing act between "challenging" and "inscrutable"? Sarah also takes the time to talk about one of the all-time great noirs, Carol Reed's postwar mystery The Third Man. Music interlude by The Surface of the Deep, "We'll Be Fine" Used by permission. Theme music by Alexander Osborn and Lindsey Mysse. Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

The calendar says that summer is drawing to a close, but Seeing & Believing refuses to accept it! Blockbuster season goes on as the guys take the plunge on the Disney+ exclusive Mulan, the latest live-action remake of a Disney animated feature. The "Summer of Darkness" also continues with a review of Brick, Rian Johnson's 2006 debut, which sets the familiar hard-boiled detective story in a high school. Music interlude by ALPH, "It's That Kinda Night." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Brush up on your air-guitar skills and get your SoCal dude-accents ready, because Seeing & Believing embarks on another excellent adventure this week. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter may be getting a little long in the tooth, but that doesn't mean they can't bring their iconic slackers back for another victory lap around time and space. Wade and Kevin review Bill and Ted Face the Music to see if the Wyld Stallyns still have a spring in their step after all this time. They balance out the frivolity with the somber neo-noir classic Chinatown, the next installment in the Summer of Darkness. Music interlude by mad bello, ìBon Voyage.î Used under Creative Commons license 3.0. Theme music by Alexander Osborn and Lindsey Mysse. Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

As election season spins up in earnest, the guys get into the spirit of the season with a new documentary. Boys State explores what happens when over a thousand bright high school boys from Texas get together to form their own two-party government: is it more Frank Capra or more Lord of the Flies? Also on the docket is the next installment in the "Summer of Darkness" film noir marathon, featuring the first major noir to be directed by a woman, the great Ida Lupino. Music interlude by Idyllic, "Cogitation." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Back from their one-week break, Wade and Kevin continue their Summer of Darkness series on film noir by crossing the Atlantic to check out Elevator to the Gallows, the Miles Davis-scored noir that launched the careers of director Louis Malle and star Jeanne Moreau. Also lighting up the screen this week is the new release Tesla, an unconventional, postmodern biopic featuring Ethan Hawke in the role of the enigmatic, withdrawn inventor. Music interlude by h3h h4hgar, ìWater.î Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Two very different kinds of family melodramas are featured in this week's episode. First is actor James D'Arcy's directing/screenwriting debut, the Liam Neeson-starring Made in Italy, about a roguish artist, his estranged son, and the dilapidated villa in Italy they try to sell together. The other film this week is about a roguish salesman who gets involved in some family drama of his own when he tries to help a woman kill her husband for the insurance money. The "Summer of Darkness" series on film noir continues with one of the most famous noirs ever made, Double Indemnity! Music interlude by The Fisherman, "Summer." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

This week, Seeing & Believing kicks off a new series on film noir! Our "Summer of Darkness" begins in a slightly unconventional place with the Humphrey Bogart-starring In a Lonely Place, about a hotheaded screenwriter whose romance with a neighbor hits a rough patch when the police accuse him of murder. The thing is, maybe he is guilty? The guys also spend time with another dark story, the Dave Franco-directed thriller The Rental, about a group of friends who become the targets of a psychopath during a weekend at a seaside AirBnB. Music interlude by Kat, "Peak." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Whether your tastes run toward the blockbuster or the literary, there's a review for you this week. Wade and Kevin sit down with Netflix's superhero-adjacent action flick The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron as the leader of a band of immortal, Wolverine-like warriors. They also take some time for Flannery a documentary chronicling the life and work of one of the foremost Christian fiction writers of the 20th century. Music interlude by SPELLWRKS, "Sirius." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Kelly Reichardt's latest film has finally made its way to a home release, and the guys are ready for it! First Cow, a period piece about two friends trying to eke out a living in the hardscrabble Oregon Territory by milking a rich man's cow on the sly, has a lot to say about our present moment. Listen to find out why Wade and Kevin think it's one of the best films of the year! Listen to find out why Wade and Kevin also like Palm Springs, the Hulu original film starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. Listen to find out why Wade and Kevin enjoy the film's riff on the Groundhog Day premise. Listen to find out why Wade and Kevin are having a strange sense of deja vu all of a sudden. Listen to find out why Wade and Kevin are really committing to this bit. Listen to find out! Music interlude by the Grumbles, "Hard Drive Hero." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

In any other summer, a Tom Hanks-starring, Tom Hanks-written movie about World War II would be the biggest movie of the weekend. This is not a typical summer, but Wade and Kevin are still interested to see what Hanks serves up with Greyhound, a thriller about a naval captain braving the high seas of the Atlantic while fending off a swarm of German U-Boats. The guys then turn their attention to another period piece, Andrew Patterson's 1950s-set sci-fi flick The Vast of Night, about a sleepy New Mexico town that receives some unexpected visitors. Music interlude by Knos, "Daydream." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Whether you're in the mood for a quiet family drama or a silly over-the-top comedy, Seeing & Believing has you covered for the Independence Day weekend. First up is The Truth, Hirokazu Kore-eda's follow-up to his Palme d'Or-winning Shoplifters and his first non-Japanese-language project. With a star-studded cast that includes Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke, and cinema legend Catherine Deneuve, Kore-eda continues to examine the familial bonds that people forge or are born into. On the sillier side of things is the Will Ferrell comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, about a hapless Icelandic duo that dreams of representing their country at Europe's most famous (and most flamboyant) song-and-dance event. Music interlude by Pacific Beach Vinyl, "Tambalan." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Seeing & Believing has a seasonal special for you this week! With the presidential election looming on the horizon, Wade and Kevin take a look at the latest cinematic political satire, this time from the mind of former Daily Show host Jon Stewart. The guys also celebrate the 45th birthday of Jaws with a retro review. In case you needed another reason to avoid going to the beach, Steven Spielberg's killer-shark classic just might do the trick. Music interlude by Kalle King Kong, "Victor." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Spike Lee’s latest film for Netflix has been causing a sensation, and this week Wade and Kevin check it out. Da 5 Bloods, a sprawling look at the legacy of the Vietnam War for black Americans, is Lee’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman. The guys do a deep dive on Da 5 Bloods‘ themes and startling spiritual vision. On the more low-key side of things, Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island just hit on-demand streaming. Does it make SNL’s Pete Davidson a movie star? Listen to find out! Music interlude by cShri, “from my heart.” Used under Creative Commons license 3.0. Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner from YouTube Audio Library

Buckle up for terrible space puns, because they're in plentiful supply in today's episode. Wade and Kevin tackle Space Force, the new comedy series from Netflix, Greg Daniels, and Steve Carell. With Carell taking on the clenched jaw and jingoism of the first commander of America's fledgling outer-space military program, this series takes a stab at transplanting the workplace antics of The Office into a top-secret military installation. The guys also go on a voyage into the mind of famed writer Shirley Jackson with Josephine Decker's unconventional biopic about her, starring Elisabeth Moss. Music interlude by David Crickett, "Vegetarian." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, two favorite filmmakers of Seeing & Believing, have a new film out, so of course, the guys are on the case! Wade and Kevin take a close look at the Dardennes' story of a young teenager who is attracted to Islamic fundamentalism, and they discuss its spiritual underpinnings, its compassionate perspective, and where it falls in the Dardennes' body of work. The guys then turn their attention to Kitty Green's #MeToo drama, The Assistant, a riveting look at the struggles and compromises of a young woman who works for an unscrupulous executive.

Many people are still homebound these days, which means it's a perfect time for an escapist movie about two friends traveling to picturesque locations and eating at incredible restaurants. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are back for a fourth go-round with the Trip to... series, this time retracing Odysseus's steps through the Mediterranean paradise of Greece as they crack jokes, verbally spar with each other, and confront the specter of aging. The guys pair this rich meal with the modest indie drama Driveways, featuring one of the final film performances of the late, great Brian Dennehy.

Fresh off their "2020 auteurs" series, Wade and Kevin get back to basics with a review of a freshly released film: Josh Trank's biopic of Al Capone. Trank returns to small-budget indie filmmaking by writing, editing, and directing this unconventional examination of the last year of the infamous gangster's life. Faced with his own physical and psychological deterioration, Capone has to deal with the consequences of his immoral past and his paranoia-laced present, and the audience is along for the ride. Music interlude by Idyllic, "Internal." Used under Creative Commons license 3.0. Theme music by Alexander Osborn and Lindsey Mysse. Used under Creative Commons license 3.0.